Construction of navigable vessels for carrying liquids in bulk



(No Model.;

H. F. SWAN. GONSTRUGTION 0F NAVIGABLB vEssELs BOR GARRYING'LIQUIIJS IN BULK.

Patented Apr. 6, 886.

UNITED STATES PATENT Ormea,

HENRY FREDERICK SVAN, OF NORTH JESMON D, NEVCILXSTLEUPON-TYNE,

COUNTY OF NORTHUMBERLAND, ENGLAND.

CONSTRUCTION F NAVIGABLE VESSELS FOR CARRYING LIQUlDS IN BULK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 339,344, dated April 6, 1886.

Application filed February B, 1886. Serial No. 191,293. (No model.)

.To @ZZ whom it' may concern,.-

Be it known that I, HENRY FREDERICK SWAN, of North Jesmond, Newcastle-upon- Tyne, in the county of Northumberland, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Construction of Navigable Vessels for Carrying Liquids in Bulk, of which the following is a specilication.

The object of my invention is to effect imlo provements in the construction of navigable vessels for carrying liquids in bulk, including cargoes of a volatile character-such as petro leum, turpentine, and the like-the special construction of the vessel permitting a suffi- I 5 cient amount of water ballast being carried to enable the vessels to make long voyages without it being necessary to put the water ballast into the chambers or compartments in which cargo is carried, and at the same time raising 2o the center of gravity of the cargo and ballast, respectively, to give the vessel proper seagoing qualities.

My invention relates more particularly to the construction of vessels for carrying liquid cargoes, for which I have already applied for Letters Patent. According to that invention provision is made to meet the expansion or contraction of the liquid cargo, due to variations in the temperature of the atmosphere or 3o otherwise,without affecting the seaworthiness of the vessel, and at the same time allowing for the escape of the volatile gases which may be evolved from the cargo. Y

In carrying out the present'invention I construct vessels of the usual ship-building niaterials, or alter existing` vessels, in either case subdividing them by one or more longitudinal bulk-heads and several transverse bull;- lieads into numerous cells or compartments for 4o the reception of the liquid cargo, the aggre gate capacity ofthe cells or compartments approaching more or less closely to the full cargocarrying capacity of the vessel. Below these compartments I construct cells or compartments for the reception of water ballast, giving them such a form as will insure the raising of the centerof gravity of the ballast. The top of the liquid-cargo cells or compartments may be formed by the main or upper decl; of the vessel, or a special deck might be con structed at any suit-able height.

In the accompanying drawings, Figures 1 and l represent in longitudinal section a liquidcargo vessel constructed according to this invention, and Fig. 2 is a transvese section of 55 the same,taken in the dividing-linelZ ofFigs.

l and l. l

In these figures, a. c are the compartments for cargo, and b b the compartments for ballast. These compartments are formed by di- 6o viding up the space in the hull by longitudinal and transverse bulk-heads c, and by inclined longitudinal divisiomplates c c",which extend from the sides of the hull to the central bulkhead,and constitute the iioor of the com- 65 partments a. By this arrangement the height of the center of gravity of the water ballast is raised to an extent which is very satisfactory in relation to the vessels immersion when in ballasttrim, and the center of gravity of the cargo is proportionately raised.

d is the engine-room.

e e are trunks or boxes, which provide for the expansion or contraction ofthe liquid cargo and insure the compartments a remaining fully 7 5 charged, although exposed to varying temperatures, and also serve to receive the volatile gases evolved from the cargo.

ff are wells for the reception of leakages from the cargo-tanks.

g g are indicators or floats iitted to the trunks or boxes e, for the purpose of showing the height of the contents in those trunks.

In Fig. l the propelling machineryis shown placed aft, so as to give greater safety from fire when the vessel is carrying volatile or iniiammable cargoes. The machinery may, however, be placed iu any other convenient position, and the arrangement and distribution of the cargo cells or compartments may be varied 9o accordingly. It will be seen by reference to Fig. 2 that the sides of these cells or compartments are formed by the sides of the vessel from the deck to the point where the inclined ilocr c of the cells'or compartments intersects 95 the vessels skin.

The number and size of the cells or compartments a are to be determined with reference to the relative proportions of the vessel herself, so that the filling or emptying of any one comrco partment would not dangerously affect the vessels stability, whether she be in a light or laden condition, and also to give the necessary amount of metacentric height. As, however, the present invention contemplates the liquid cargo and ballast being carried in compartments that are entirely distinct, the possibility is thereby given of keeping the Water-ballast cells filled until almost the whole of the cargo is loaded, thereby tending to keep the vessel in an upright position.

It is a necessary condition of this mode of transporting liquid cargo that the cells or compartments a must be kept absolutely full, and for this purpose each bulk-head, as also the top and bottom of the cells or compartments, must be constructed Lin a sufficiently-strong manner to insure that each individual cell or compartment shall stand the maximum headpressure that can be brought upon it through any portion of the ships structure or iixed fittings.

The wells which receive leakage from theV cargo-cells c are fitted with pumping arrangements for returningthe same to those cells or compartments.

To control the liquid with which the cells or compartments may be filled, and to permit of expansion or contraction by selfacting means in such cargoes as are of an expansive character, I fit to each cell or compartment one or more of the trunks or boxes e, the capacity and height of which are regulated by the nature of the liquid likely to be carried, it being necessary to have each trunk or box al- Ways partially lled, to insure that the cor responding cells or compartments with which it is in connection are also full. Sometimes I construct a trunk or box common to two or more compartments, as shown in the draW- ings; but in every case apertures are made in the top of the cells orcompartments, (on which 4o the trunks or boxes stand,) to provide for the free passage to and fro of the petroleum or other liquid contained in the cells a and in the trunks e. In every case the trunks or boxes form receptacles for the4 escaping gases, and have vapor-pipes fitted for carrying ofic the same to convenient places.

A modification of the form of the ballast cells or compartments is shown in the crosssection, Fig. 3, Where, instead of the Waterballast rising to its highest level at the center ofthe vessel, the highest level is attained at the sides Vof the ship, the iioor c being inclined in the opposite direction to that shown at Fig. 2. The principle of construction, however, so far as the use of the Water ballast is concerned, is the same in both arrangements.

Having now explained the nature of my invention, I will haveit understood that I claim- In a ship or vessel designed to carry liquid cargo in bulk, a series of cells or compartments (for receiving the liquid cargo) formed by longitudinal and transverse bulkheads,aud divided from an underlying series of cells or compartments (for the reception of water bal.- last in suiicient quantity to avoid the necessity of putting seawater into the cargo-compartments) by means of inclined longitudinal division plates or floors, as described, such iioors, by their disposition, serving to insure to the vessel a proper degree of metacentric height both in a laden and ballast condition.

HENRY FREDERICK SVAN. Witnesses:

J. SToRMoNr HAYs, Crais. C. L. As'rRoP, Clerks to rlfessrs. Ingledew et' Dagge, No. 3

Dean Sto-eet, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. 

